


Uncover

by Mierke



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/F, Free Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-04 00:57:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 708
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12158313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mierke/pseuds/Mierke
Summary: Post-Serenity. Kaylee and Inara find each other.





	Uncover

**Author's Note:**

  * For [amyfortuna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/amyfortuna/gifts).



Is it love  
When you feel  
Your insides burning  
Your cheeks flaming  
Every time  
She walks in the room?  
  
Love had always been  
Easy before  
Or  
Maybe not easy  
But natural  
It had been about  
Interlocking  
Connecting  
On a physical level  
  
Simon had been gone  
For over a year  
\- Not dead gone, mind you  
Just simply  
Gone  
As if her presence in his life  
Had been erased  
Like the grease marks  
On his skin  
After a make-out session  
  
It had been  
A mutual decision  
Their attraction  
Not surviving the actual  
Acting upon it  
Simon longing for  
His home,  
His career,  
Now there was something  
To return home to.  
  
River had stayed  
And at first  
Had been a constant  
Reminder  
Telling Kaylee  
How much she had lost  
How much pain  
She had gained  
  
But the pain faded  
Erased  
By the beating of Serenity's heart  
By the family she had found  
By the woman  
So similar  
Yet so different  
To Simon  
  
Inara was proper  
Polished  
Sensual in a way that Kaylee  
Had never been able to achieve  
Or had any use for  
  
But where Simon's properness  
Hid his unease  
Uncertainties  
His fear of  
Not being good enough  
Smart enough  
Interestingly enough  
Inara's hid nothing  
And everything  
At the same time  
  
Kaylee wanted to find her way  
Underneath that mask  
Wanted to take off  
The clothes  
The layers  
The etiquette  
And find who hid  
Underneath  
  
And now  
Standing before Inara's shuttle  
She doesn't think  
Doesn't allow herself to think  
  
She holds a hand out  
To the walls  
Feels Serenity steady her  
And sends out  
A small prayer of thanks  
(She's never really believed  
In God  
Less even since the Shepherd died  
But she's always believed in  
Serenity)  
  
She knocks  
Can hardly contain her nerves  
Pushing her to sway  
From heel to toe  
Toe to heel  
  
Inara opens  
And  
Kaylee catches her breath  
As she always does these days  
Whenever they come eye to eye  
| Is it love  
When you feel  
Your insides flutter  
Your heart gallop  
Every time  
Your eyes meet hers?  
  
Love had always been  
Easy before  
Or  
Maybe not easy  
But simple  
It had always been  
Forbidden  
Impossible  
A dream for others, not her  
  
Her feelings for Mal  
Had changed  
\- Or maybe they had  
Never been  
There  
A light that flickered only  
In the corner of your eye  
Like the shadows  
That haunted  
Serenity in the dark  
  
Their fighting  
Had always seemed  
Like passion  
The bickering and teasing  
Giving a way out  
To their longing  
Their tension,  
Their loneliness,  
Their inability to connect  
To anyone around them.  
  
Still she had stayed  
And at first  
Had felt constantly  
Reminded  
Had felt enveloped  
By what she had lost  
And the emptiness  
She had gained  
  
But she became whole  
Healed  
By the familiarity of her rituals  
By the home she had found  
By the woman  
So different  
Yet so similar  
To herself  
  
Kaylee was intense  
Devoted  
Hopeful in a way that Inara  
Had never been able to achieve  
(or had any use for)  
  
But where her own devotion  
Hid her secrets  
Uncertainties  
Her fear of  
Not feeling enough  
Or too much  
Interestingly enough  
Kaylee’s hid nothing  
As if she really  
Had nothing to hide  
  
Inara wanted to find a way  
To free herself from her mask  
Wanted to reveal  
Her soul  
Her self  
Her emotions  
And find who hid  
Underneath  
  
But now  
She doesn’t know where to begin  
All her education  
About seduction, not communication  
  
And so she waits  
In her shuttle  
Feels Serenity steady her  
And sends out  
A small prayer of hope  
(She has always believed  
In God  
More so since she found Serenity  
But she’s never held  
Much hope)  
  
A knock  
Interrupts her self-reflection  
Startles her out of  
Her introspection  
And quietude  
  
She opens  
And  
Her breath catches  
Kaylee a stronger force  
Than any oil or meditation  
  
---|---  
  
For a beat  
They stare at each other  
Neither knowing  
What the other feels  
Neither even really knowing  
What it is they want  
  
But arms stretch out  
And fingers touch  
Almost without their guidance  
And they find each other  
  
Passion meets devotion  
Enthusiasm claws at masks  
Kisses light a fire  
And caresses chase away  
The dark  
  
In the end  
All that is left is  
Kaylee  
Inara  
And the love  
They have made


End file.
